Blue Devils shut out Gallatin in rare jamboree matchup

By Luke Williams

Connection Sports

To say White House and Gallatin’s varsity football teams never step on the same football field, at the same time, is quite an understatement.

The two last played in varsity action in 1945 when WHHS was a newborn in the ranks of high school football. Though it did not officially count, it was finally the Blue Devils turn Friday night at the Sumner County Jamboree at Green Wave Stadium.

And the B.D.P. boys made the best of it with an impressive 7-0 win over the traditional Class 5-A power in two quarters of action. The real games begin next week when White House opens at Portland, but for two 20-minute running quarters, the spotlight was focused on the Blue and White versus the Green and Gold.

Bryan Dixon’s 15-yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter was the lone score of the game with Matthew Gossett’s PAT added, and the score held up when Gallatin mounted a furious rally in the closing seconds and ended with four plays and out inside the White House 10-yard-line.

“We needed to get out and have some experience, positive or negative; we got put in some stressful situations and that’s part of football,” said head coach Jeff Porter. “The big thing is all the kids got a feel tonight for what it’s like to play a half, but a half is sure different than a whole game and what we are going to see experience next week.”

Clint Maynard’s third-down corral of Zach Duty ended the first White House series of the game on a three-and-out, but Trox Greenwade punted it 55 yards to back up the Green Wave inside the 20. A 19-yard scamper by Sanchez Holder set up Gallatin near midfield, but the Blue Devils forced a return punt.

Greenwade narrowly missed a wide open Matt Parker on a deep pass after Cody Allen set up 2nd-and-1 with a nine-yard run, and DeMarqus Payne was swarmed by the Gallatin defense. Greenwade again punted it deep, a 52-yarder that stopped dead at the three-yard-line.

White House forced its first three-and-out and Parker returned the punt 11 yards to the Gallatin 45. Chase Neal and brother Chad caught passes of 10 and 11 yards, respectively, and Allen rescued a 1st-and-15 with an 11-yard run, before Dixon broke to the right side into the endzone with 17:34 left in the game.

“Our kicking game put us in a great situation to score with the big punt, and then we came back later and had 30 yards of penalties and gave up the big run toward the end of the game,” Porter said. “So there were some positives, but it also left us with some things to work on and improve.”

Gallatin punted before the teams exchanged interceptions, with Chase Neal picking off Gallatin quarterback Cody Matthews across the middle. Zach O’Brien caught the Aussie Light deep pass for Gallatin. With White House forced to punt again, this time Gallatin broke the big play when Marco Wright took the Greenwade punt 38 yards and was headed for the endzone when Light made a game-saving tackle in the middle of the field.

With 2:01 remaining, Gallatin’s Holder bolted 12yards on the first play and set up first and goal at the 10. Matthews was taken down for just one yard on first down, then DeMarqus Payne got his hands inside of DeJeay Woods in the endzone to split up a sure touchdown throw.

Te Gallatin offense executed a perfect middle screen to Wright, but Payne was the saving grace again, tripping him up at the nine to force third down with 34 seconds left. A final pass sailed through the middle of the endzone with Chase Neal and DeMarqus Payne there to break it up.

“The kids were excited to play, to do something different and they had an opportunity to find out if they were ready to play,” Porter added. “This is over and the most important thing is for us to get out of here hoping one gets hurt and get ready for next week.”

Gallatin led in total offense just 94-84, with Matthews completing 5-of-10 passes for just eight yards, including one to himself for a loss of six when Andy James batted it into the air. He rushed seven times for 38 yards and Holder carried five for 45.

Greenwade was 5-of-7 for 38 yards including two for 18 to Chase Neal. Allen rushed twice for 20 yards and Dixon gained 19 on five carries.

Zack Byrd led the defense with eight tackles from linebacker, followed by Michael Barrett with five, and Jonathan Duke, Duty and Parker each with three.

The Gallatin junior varsity (B-Team) put a couple of touchdowns on the board and held White House out of the endzone when the two squads battled in a separate pair of quarters before and after the varsity game.

White House kicks it off at Portland for the official start to the regular season Friday at 7:30 p.m.

White House 0-7…7

Gallatin 0-0…0

RUSHING – (WH) Cody Allen 2-20, Bryan Dixon 5-19-1 TD, Aussie Light 1-4, DeMarqus Payne 3-3. (G) Sanchez Holder 5-45, Cody Matthews 7-38, DeJeay Woods 1-1, DeVonn Fields 1-0.

PASSING – (WH) Trox Greenwade 5-7 for 38, 0 TD, 0 INT; Aussie Light 0-2 for 0, 0 TD, 1 INT. (G) Cody Matthews 5-10 for 8, 0 TD, 1 INT.

RECEIVING – (WH) Chad Neal 2-18, Chase Neal 1-10, Zach Duty 1-9, DeMarrius Payne 1-2. (G) Marco Wright 3-7, DeJeay Woods 1-7, Cody Matthews 1-(-6).

PUNTING – (WH) Trox Greenwade 3-146-48.6. (G) James Satterfield 3-109-36.1.

TACKLES – (WH) Zack Byrd 8 (5-3), Michael Barrett 5 (3-2), Matt Parker 3 (1-2), Zach Duty 3 (2-1), Jonathan Duke 3 (2-1), Dakota Perry 2 (2-0), Chad Neal 1, Bryan Dixon 1, Casey James 1, Walt Wages 1, Chase Neal 1, Blaine Boone 1, Aussie Light 1, DeMarrius Payne 1, DeMarqus Payne 1.

PASSES BROKEN UP – Chase Neal 2 (1 INT), DeMarqus Payne 2.

TOTAL OFFENSE – (WH) 84 (FD: 1 rush, 2 pass). (G) 94 (4 rush, 1 pass).

PUNT RETURNS – (WH) Matt Parker 1-11.

The above story is the property of The Bargain Browser Connection, copyright August 2008.